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December 05, 2023 - 3:30 PM
Kelowna is the fifth most generous community in Canada on the popular donation site GoFundMe.
Despite a year of rising living costs, inflation and a general sense of times getting harder, Canadians are still lending their neighbours a hand.
In 2023, GoFundMe recorded two million donations in Canada, which is close to 140,000 more than last year, according to a media release issued, Dec. 5.
The site recently announced the top 20 most generous communities in Canada. The list was selected by measuring the number of donations per capita.
"Canadians came together in 2023 to support one another in times of need," Ved Khan, senior corporate affairs manager at GoFundMe, said in the release. “Canadians exemplified the meaning of giving. Their unwavering commitment to supporting one another has not only defined 2023 but has set the gold standard for what it means to be a compassionate community.”
Kelowna was beaten by first place Victoria, followed by North Vancouver, Vancouver and Prince George. Almost half the list was made up by regions in BC, with the rest coming from Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick.
GoFundMe recorded more than 11,400 donations in Kelowna this year, which is a per capita donation rate of 7.9 per cent.
One of the largest GoFundMe campaigns in Kelowna this year was Keramia Lawrie’s campaign for the Broken Rail Ranch.
The ranch is owned by Lawrie's mother Crystal Findlay and her husband Jeff Findlay. The property was home to the couple's was a trail riding business and numerous rescue animals, until it was completely destroyed by the McDougall Creek wildfire.
Since Lawrie created the page on Aug. 18, she has raised more than $60,000 for the ranch and to help her parents rebuild.
"I am sitting at work running on 3.5 hours of sleep holding back tears," Lawrie wrote on the page after $10,000 was raised in a matter of hours.
"This community is amazing. I am truly in shock and I cannot express how grateful I (we!) are for the generous support," she said. "It is surreal to see donations come in from people near and far - some of you from halfway across the world who have never met us. I set $10,000 as a semi-arbitrary goal. I never thought it would be reached in half a day... From my bottom of my heart, thank you. I hope everyone is staying safe."
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